Hold Me Now
by Auralia Sparks
Summary: Sasuke and Naruto dated in high school, but Sasuke wasn't ready for a long term relationship, so he left. The only reason he's come back now, is because his mother sent him a very upsetting letter. Naruto has been diagnosed with Leukemia, and isn't expected to make it through the summer. Can Sasuke and Naruto rekindle the love they once felt for each other before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any characters in this fanfic.

**Warnings:** lime scented stuff...nothing too graphic though.

Hey guys! Okay, so I'm really looking forward to this story. It's been on my mind for a while now, and I'm finally getting around to putting on paper. This story was inspired by the book- A Walk to Remember, by Nicholas Sparks, one of my favorite authors. I took the title from the song Hold Me Now by Red. I'll post the lyrics on my profile page if you are interested in looking it up.

Without further to do, it is my great pleasure to present chapter one, of Hold Me Now.

* * *

~There's No Place Like Home~

_The hallway was dimly lit…faulty light bulb in one of the fixtures on the white ceiling of Konoha High School. It buzzed and flickered creating an almost eerie atmosphere. However the activity taking place within that hallway was anything but eerie. Two bodies were pressed closely together against the dark green lockers. Calloused fingers ran through bright blond hair soft as silk, thin lips captured soft pink, plush ones that, even when moving in passion, were never absent a smile. When they finally pulled apart for oxygen, dark eyes stared into the most vibrant, sapphire eyes they had ever seen. Soft lips parted once again, and said,_

"Good afternoon passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are beginning our decent into the beautiful city of Konoha. Please fasten your seat belts, turn off all electrical devices, and return your tables to their upright and locked positions. Thank you for flying Shukaku Air Ways, and have a pleasant evening."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open, blinking a few times to focus them. He straightened himself up in his chair, and dutifully buckled himself in to the comfortable first class airplane seat. With a small sigh, he turned his head, and looked out the window, watching as the landscape began to come into view. He was sure it had changed a little from the time he had lived there eight years ago. As soon as he graduated high school and turned eighteen, he had abruptly left Konoha and moved to Sound City, where he did quite well for himself. He was now twenty-six, and owned his own business…though not Uchiha Inc. much to his father's dismay after his older brother Itachi had also declined the offer to take over and run the family company.

Eight years seems like a long time to be away from home, but in all reality, it would have been longer had he not been surprised by a letter from his mother…especially since sending an email would have been ten times faster and easier. He reached into his pocket and pulled said letter out. He unfolded it, and read it through for the fifth time that day. The letter expressed his mother's desperate need to see her son again. It practically begged for him to return. However, as much as he loved his mother, the fact that she wanted to see him was not reason enough for him to drop everything and come running home. The letter goes on to talk about how the rest of his family is doing. Apparently, his cousin Obito had expressed an interest in becoming the CEO of Uchiha Inc. so naturally a good deal of his father's time was spent training the young man in the way of business. His uncle Madara had finally gotten out of prison, and was on probation till the end of November. However, he had managed to get a job as a bar tender and was making a decent amount of money to pay rent and other expenses.

"Our futures are looking quite bright." His mother had said about these events. She then went on to talk about all of their family friends, and neighbors. The Inuzukas' had had another litter of puppies, The Hyuga's boy was finishing up his last year in grad school, while their daughter had just gotten married to the youngest son of the Inuzukas. Shino Aburame had been working very hard on his degree in entomology, which is the study and science of insects, and the Nara's boy had just become the youngest detective on the police force. It was this particular paragraph in the letter that Sasuke had made the decision to return home. It was only a few lines of words…but it was enough.

"_Unfortunately, good fortune can't always come to everyone. It would seem that tragedy has struck the Uzumaki household once again. I heard from Mrs. Haruno that that nice boy Naruto has been diagnosed with leukemia.__Apparently, he started chemotherapy sometime last week, I don't know how he intends to pay for the treatment, but I'm sure Jiraiya will come up with something. I'm afraid there's not much any of us can do for him but pray the treatment works at this point."_ That's all she said on the matter. Before he could even understand how it happened, he was packed and on a plan heading back to Konoha. Another sigh escaped his lips as the airport came into view. He and Naruto had dated their last two years of high school. Sasuke had never admitted it, but he had had some pretty serious feelings regarding the blonde eight years ago. The blonde was also the reason he left eight years ago…which made his reaction to the letter all the more confusing.

Finally, the plane slowed to a stop, and Sasuke made his way down the walkway where he could already see his brother waiting for him. Itachi smiled when he saw him, and walked forward to greet his little brother.

"Sasuke, good to see you, how have you been?" Sasuke hugged Itachi affectionately.

"Yeah, it's been a while. I've been pretty good, I can't complain." Itachi laughed and playfully slapped his brother on the back.

"I bet. How was the flight?" They began walking towards the baggage claim.

"It was alright, a little bumpy for my taste, but nothing too terrible." Itachi hit the down arrow for the elevator.

"Glad to hear it. Have you eaten anything?" Sasuke had no doubts that his mother would have enough food prepared to feed an army waiting for him at home, so he purposely didn't eat anything on the plane, not wanting to offend her by not eating. The elevator arrived, and the doors dinged open. They stepped inside and hit their desired floor, and waited patiently for the elevator doors to shut before the familiar hum of the small room began, and they felt themselves begin to move downward.

"Nope, am I wrong in thinking that mom has already cooked something for dinner?" His suspicions were confirmed when Itachi laughed and nodded his head.

The elevator doors slid open, and they waited till the elderly couple in the elevator stepped out before they themselves did. They walked down the corridor, following the signs to the baggage claim, making small talk as they went.

After finally claiming his baggage, Sasuke and Itachi piled everything into Itachi's car, and made the hour long trip from the airport to the quiet suburban neighborhood where Sasuke grew up. They pulled into the driveway, and Sasuke wasn't the least bit surprised to see that the house was exactly the same as it was eight years ago. It was still the same white siding, the same rectangular flowerboxes filled with red and yellow tulips hanging outside the windows, and the same welcome sign hanging directly in the center of the light blue door. As predicted, he hadn't made it three steps up the driveway before his body was smothered in a constricting embrace. His nostrils were filled with the strong aroma of his mother's perfume, and his forehead was assaulted with sticky lipstick covered kisses.

"Sasuke! Oh my baby's back! Fugaku, Sasuke's here! My baby boy, oh look how much you've grown. Did you have a good trip? Are you hungry? I bet you're hungry. Come on in and I'll fix you a bite to eat."

"Hi mom." Sasuke mumbled against her shoulder. He mentally rolled his eyes, and plastered a smile on his face as he was forcefully ushered into the house.

After a few hours of visiting with his family and filling his stomach with his mom's home cooking, Sasuke was finally able to drag his suitcase up the stairs to his old room. For some reason, even though he hadn't lived there for years, Sasuke's room was still exactly the same as it had been when he was a teenager. He opened one of the drawers to his old oak dresser, and began to unpack his suitcase. In the mirror above the dresser, he could see his bed reflected in the glass, and like so many things have recently done, it dug up a long time buried memory.

_Moonlight, was the only thing illuminating the queen sized bed. It shone softly on the two bodies moving gently against each other. It was late Saturday night, and all other members of the household were out, leaving the two boys alone._

_They were sitting in Sasuke's bedroom playing video games, and eating animal crackers, laughing when they couldn't agree on what animal the cracker was supposed to be. As situations like this often do, the evening escalated from playing video games to playful wrestling, to kissing._

_Naruto was pinned to the carpet underneath Sasuke, their lips moving in synchronization against each other. Their curious touches became something more intimate as their kisses heated up. Before too long, Sasuke was picking Naruto up from the floor and carrying him to the bed. Clothing disappeared, hands and lips began running over every expanse of smooth skin they could find, and soft moans and grunts filled the quiet room. Sasuke had prepared Naruto well, and had been as gentle as physically possible as he pushed himself deep within the blonde's body wringing the most beautifully pleasured sounds from the boy beneath him. This ended up being one of the best nights of his life. _

Sasuke shook himself from the memory. Sasuke had been with someone before Naruto, but it had been Naruto's first time...it was also their first time together, which had made it that much more precious.

With a sigh, he finished his unpacking, and headed down the stairs to have dinner with his family. After dinner, he decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. The cool evening air was refreshing. Much nicer than the polluted air of the big city. He enjoyed the chirping of the birds in the trees, and the golden glow of the setting sun. The neighborhood had changed a little since he had lived there. More houses looked occupied, and a few fences had been built around yards, but all in all, it looked much as he remembered it.

He was just wondering into the little park on the south side of the neighborhood, when he caught sight of an old friend who was also out enjoying the quiet evening.

"Well, well, well, look who it is, the youngest Uchiha comes home at last." Sasuke smiled wryly, and went over to shake his old friend's hand.

"It's good to see you Shikamaru, it's been a while." Shikamaru laughed lightly, and nodded his head.

"What brought you back to this sleepy little town?" Sasuke hesitated slightly…Shikamaru had always been more Naruto's friend than his own.

"My mom practically begged me to return for a visit. I figured eight years was long enough to stay away." He laughed. Shikamaru nodded his head sympathetically.

"Man, those parents can be a real drag can't they." Sasuke was pleased that they could still talk as they did all those years ago. He had been a little afraid that it would be more awkward than anything else.

"I heard you got a position in the detective agency, congratulations, that's huge." Sasuke praised. Shikamaru smiled lazily.

"Thanks, though it's not nearly as impressive as running your own company." Sasuke laughed and scratched the back of his head lightly.

"It's got to be more exciting though."

"That's for sure, definitely keeps you on your toes. I guess your mom told you about that?" He questioned.

"Yeah, she actually told me about what most everyone was up to these days, seems like you're all doing pretty well."

"It's been an eventful couple of years, I'll say that much."

"I heard Kiba and Hinata tied the knot. Can't say I didn't see that coming." Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"Everyone saw that coming." They both laughed at that. Shikamaru sobered slightly then.

"Guess you probably heard about Naruto too huh?" Sasuke's smile disappeared, and he looked down at his shoes.

"Yeah. I was really sorry to hear that…do you know how he's doing?"

"He's hanging in there. He started chemotherapy maybe a week ago." Sasuke nodded already hearing that from his mother.

"I was planning on visiting him sometime this week. Does he still live at the same address as before?" Sasuke asked, trying to make it sound like a casual question.

"Yep. I doubt he'll ever move out of that old place." Sasuke nodded his head in understanding. Naruto had lived there his entire life. It was where he had the most memories of his parents. The place was special to him. He checked his watch, and then looked back up at his friend.

"Well, it was good to see you Shikamaru; I'd better get back. See ya later." Shikamaru waved at Sasuke, and then turned and walked off the opposite way.

Sasuke ended up taking the long way home, which just happened to go right by Naruto's house. He looked up at the old house, and could see a light on behind the curtain in what he knew to be Naruto's room. He stopped in the middle of the road and just stared up at the window. But after a few minutes, continued on walking. Naruto didn't need him bothering him at this time of evening. What would he even say to the blonde now after suddenly disappearing for eight years? He shook his head; nothing would be a good enough excuse, because there really was no excuse for his behavior. Nevertheless, he made a mental promise to himself, that he would grow a pair, and visit Naruto the next day. After all, he had waited eight years, what was one more day?

* * *

How was it? Did you like it? Keep in mind that this is a little bit of a slower paced story, it's not meant to be rushed through. That being said, I'm only planning on having this story be a few chapters, so it kind of evens out. Anyways, I hope you liked it enough to keep reading. I'm keeping the chapters short, so I should be able to update in a more timely fashion. Thanks for reading, and I'd love it if you would _**review**_ and tell me what you thought, even if all its saying is continue with the story. Thanks again, you're all awesome!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any characters in this fanfic.

**Warning: **No real warnings in this chapter.

Wow! Talk about an awesome response. A HUGE thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited or followed, you guys are amazing. ^_^

Here's chapter 2! I hope you all enjoy it. You may begin reading in 5…4…3…2…1, GO, GO, GO!

* * *

~Reaching for the Sun~

Nausea rolled around in the blonde's stomach like a violent and badly edited Kung-Fu movie. He glanced over at the clock on the wall, and sighed, only one more hour…then he could go home…just one more hour.

Naruto was currently sitting on one of the hospital's hard, uncomfortable beds, waiting for his chemo for the day to end. Multiple barf buckets were placed beside him, and on the floor. He cradled one in his lap, just waiting for the inevitable. This week had been rough. He was only on the second week of his five week cycle, and already completely sick of it. He grimaced as he looked down at the IV attached to his arm. With another sigh (he seemed to be doing that a lot lately), he reached up and ran his hand through his thinning hair. The doctor had assured him that he wouldn't lose it all completely, and that it would grow back eventually…if he had an eventually. He groaned as a particularly nasty wave of nausea passed through his stomach, he quickly bent over the bucket and puked for probably the fifth time today. After he was finished, he carefully placed the bucket on the floor, and grabbed his cup of water the nurse had placed on a table near his bed. He took a few small sips of the water, and then carefully put it back on the table. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out two pieces of spearmint gum and promptly unwrapped and folded them into his mouth; trying to get rid of the awful taste that lingered there. He couldn't help but again glance at the clock, desperately hoping this so called "treatment" would be over so he could go home…but unfortunately, he still had twenty minutes left.

* * *

Jiraiya absentmindedly rubbed his chin. He never thought something as mundane as paperwork could be such an intimidating task. He stared at the question on the page, trying to work out the correct response to it.

(6) Relation to patient?

(a) Parent (b) Relative (c) Legal Guardian

Truth be told, he wasn't any of the above. He and Naruto's parents had always referred to him as Naruto's godfather, but there had never been any legal documentation drawn up to state that. He frowned slightly. He had been coming to the hospital every day to drop off and pick up Naruto for almost two weeks, and _now_ they decide to have him fill out all this paperwork? It didn't quite make sense to him, but he guessed that's just how things go sometimes. Whether he was "legally" Naruto's guardian or not…he was all the kid had. He stood from his seat and approached the front desk. He put on his most charming grin, as he addressed the…well-endowed woman typing away on the computer. She looked up, and smiled warmly as he set the paperwork on the desk in front of her.

"Excuse me miss, but I have a quick question for you. You see, I'm not technically Naruto's legal guardian by court issue; however, I've been taking care of him since he was eight years old…I'm really all he has. Is there some way we can work around this?" He flashed a big toothy smile. The woman took a look at the documentation, before smiling herself.

"No need to worry, we are well aware of Mr. Uzumaki's situation. In actuality, due to the fact that he is twenty-five years of age, you really wouldn't need to fill out this form under normal circumstances. However, because Mr. Uzumaki cannot drive while under the effects of his treatment he requires transportation. These forms are just the standard procedure, stating that we can release him into your care. Just fill it out the best you can." Ah yes, that's what he thought. No female could resist his charms. O_o! He nodded his thanks before returning to his seat to finish filling out the paperwork. His hand moved the pen methodically over the paper, but his mind was else ware.

He had been there the day Naruto was born, had taken care of him since he was eight…he never in a million years thought he would live to see…

Twenty-five…he was still just a baby in Jiraiya eyes.

"Mr. Jiraiya? Naruto's therapy is over for the day. You can go ahead and take him home now." Mildly startled out of his somber thoughts, he looked up at the lady from the front desk. He smiled, and handed her the…semi-completed paperwork before heading down the long white hallway towards Naruto's room…if you could call it that. It was a room, just without walls. It had large yellow curtains as the only boundary from the other patients in the area. He quietly slid the curtain open, smiling as Naruto put on his shoes.

"You all set?" Jiraiya asked eyes bright and shining. Naruto looked up at his guardian and gave a weary smile.

"Yeah, just give me a sec to finish tying my shoe." Jiraiya nodded, and walked over to the chair Naruto's jacket was hung over. He picked it up and, once Naruto was done tying his shoe, helped the blonde slip it over his shoulders.

* * *

Naruto let out a happy sigh of contentment as his head hit the pillow. The drive home had been kinda quiet. The usually talkative Jiraiya didn't seem to have much to say for once. Naruto suspected it was because Jiraiya new that he was tired and didn't want to force the blond to talk. Naruto snuggled deeper into his covers, trying to find a comfortable position to rest in. He always found it ironic how, when he was a kid he hated naps, but was forced to take them, now that he was an adult, he would give anything for a nap, but hardly ever had time for them…until recently that is. Now he was taking naps on a daily basis, which was definitely a good thing, because ten times out of ten, he came back from chemo feeling absolutely exhausted. He closed his eyes, and let himself fall into a dream land where there was no sickness or pain…if only he would never wake.

"_What are you doing?" Fingers trailed through soft locks of gold. _

"_I'm reaching for the sun." Blue eyes locked with the onyx eyes of the speaker._

"_What?" Tanned fingers grabbed onto paler ones, stopping their movements. _

"_Your hair; it reminds me of the sun." _

"_My hair reminds you of a big burning ball of gas?" Onyx eyes sparkled with the laughter escaping from thin lips._

"_No…it reminds me of warmth and happiness…just like your smile." A pink flush crept up scared cheeks. _

"_Does that mean you're happy then?" The question was hesitantly asked. Thin lips curved into a small smirk as they moved steadily closer to slightly parted, plush ones._

"_What do you think?" Distance disappeared, and fireworks exploded between two young people who were still so new to this idea…this emotional state some call love. And then, just as quickly as it had started, it was over, and blue eyes were left staring into empty space. He looked down to his tanned fingers, shocked to find them clutching a large black feather. Crystal drops of liquid fell onto the feather, dampening it slightly. Blue eyes never truly understood what rain was…until the sun was covered up by a dark onyx cloud, never to be seen by another soul again. _

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP...SLAM! Silence! Order, order in the court. Judge Naruto will now decide your fate.

Naruto pulled his hand away from the offending alarm clock and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He blinked, and slowly sat up. He scratched the back of his head, shaking it back and forth in disbelief. Where the hell had that dream come from? Naruto hadn't dreamt about him in ages. He got out of bed and slipped a loose pair of grey sweatpants on over his orange boxers, and then rummaged around till he found a dark blue t-shirt, pulling it on over his head. He glanced at the clock; the digital red numbers read 1:30pm. He had managed to sleep for a good two hours then. Naruto placed a hand on his stomach, trying to gauge whether it could handle a little food or not. The effects of the medicine were still there, but he knew he probably should eat something small anyway. He shuffled down the stairs, and into the kitchen. His eyes caught sight of a small piece of notebook paper lying inconspicuously on the counter top and quickly scanned its contents.

_Naruto,_

_I needed to run into town for a few items. There's a bowl of chicken broth in the refrigerator, all you need to do is heat it up in the microwave. I'll be back soon._

_Jiraiya_

A small smile curved Naruto's lips. He opened the refrigerator and sure enough, there was a bowl of chicken broth front and center…as if it wasn't obvious enough, Jiraiya had labeled it as such with some masking tape. Naruto rolled his eyes, and uncovered the bowl, being careful not to spill it. He placed it in the microwave and set the timer for two minutes. The quiet hum of the small device filled the room. Naruto leaned back against the center island as he waited for it to be done. His mind was still a little foggy with sleep, so it took him a minute to differentiate between the hum of the microwave and the ding-dong of the doorbell. He heard it the second time though, as it was followed by several knocks. He quickly moved towards the front door, not bothering to look through the peephole to see who it was before turning the knob and pulling the door open. He winced as the sun momentarily blinded him, only to freeze when the person finally came into view.

Blue eyes locked with onyx. Pale fingers raked nervously through spikey black locks. Naruto wasn't sure it was real. Just like that label on the chicken broth, he had to question the obvious.

"Sasuke?" It certainly looked like Sasuke. He had on a light grey, V-neck t-shirt and dark denim jeans that fit snuggly around his lean waist. His feet were covered with black, All-Star convers, and on his wrist he wore an expensive looking silver watch. His hair was, as usual, stylishly messy, and still the same shade of ebony that it was in high school…Yep, this was definitely Sasuke Uchiha.

"Hey Naruto…long time no see." Well that was the understatement of the century. His voice though…his voice was still the smooth, baritone it had always been.

"Yeah, no kidding…whatcha up to?" He figured that was the more polite way to ask 'what the hell are you doing here'.

"I-I was just in the neighborhood, and thought I might as well stop and say hi." In the background Naruto hears the Microwave beep, signifying his broth was warmed up.

"Umm, hey, you wanna come in for a bit? I think we have some iced tea in the fridge." Sasuke seemed to hesitate slightly, before smiling and nodding.

"Sure, thanks." Naruto led Sasuke through the living room, and into the dining area. Naruto headed to the microwave to retrieve his broth, before setting it down on the dining room table. He motioned to the seat in front of Sasuke.

"Have a seat. Umm, do you want some iced tea?" He went over to the refrigerator and started rummaging around.

"We also have Pepsi, fruit juice, water…beer?" He looked over at the other man expectantly.

"Iced tea sounds good, thanks." Naruto nodded, and pulled out the pitcher. He reached into the cabinet and pulled out a tall glass before filling it with ice, and filling it up with tea.

"Do you want a lemon?" He asked without actually knowing whether they had lemons or not.

"No, this is fine thank you." Naruto nodded, and sat down himself. He picked up his spoon, and sipped a small amount of broth. The warm liquid felt good against his throat.

"Sorry, I haven't eaten anything yet today." Naruto remembered Jiraiya mentioning once that it was impolite to eat in front of someone if they too were not eating.

"No, it's fine. I'm the one who showed up unexpectedly." Naruto drank another spoon full. Not wanting to make this anymore awkward that it already was, he decided to start up some conversation.

"So, what have you been up to since high school?" Sasuke took a sip of his tea before answering.

"Well…I ended up going to Sound State University, where I got my bachelor's in Business Management and my associate's in Computer Technology. From there I did an internship at Yakushi Tec. Eventually I was able to start up my own business, and now I'm working as the CEO of Sharingan Enterprises." Naruto found it odd that he wasn't the least bit surprised. But then again, he always knew Sasuke would go far in life. Even so, he had to admit, he was a little impressed.

"Wow! That's pretty impressive. What does your company do?"

"In a nut shell, we build and distribute computers internationally." Sasuke took another sip of his tea, before carefully setting it down on the placemat in front of him.

"Cool! It sounds like you've got a good thing going for ya. If it's one thing the world will never grow out of, it's computers." Naruto praised. Sasuke cleared his throat.

"What about you? What's happened in the last eight years?" He asked suddenly. Naruto looked up from his broth.

"Umm, well I started out at Leaf Community College. I was there for about a year, and then I got accepted into Konoha Institute of Fine Arts. I was looking for something in the Design and Applied Arts field, most likely Graphic Design. I was able to make it through my first two years there, but then I ran into a bit of a money issue. I've been working part time at Ichiraku Ramen's, but that didn't quite cover my expenses so I had to take a break from school and find another part time job at the local mechanic shop…umm, that's really all I've accomplished so far." Sasuke smiled.

"Don't sell yourself short, you'll get there. You just need to keep working at it." Naruto sighed silently. Yeah…maybe.

"Guess all I can do is try, right?" Wanting to change to subject, he dove into the first thing that popped into his head…which ended up being no better than the previous topic…man he sure knew how to pick 'em.

"I don't know if you heard, but Hinata and Kiba are finally tying the knot." Sasuke nodded.

"Yeah, my mom told me."

"What about you? Is there a Mrs. Uchiha yet?" Naruto mentally kicked himself. Mrs.? Really? Luckily Sasuke seemed to take it good naturedly. He gave a small laugh, before answering.

"No, I mean I've dated since _then_, but haven't really found anyone to settle down with…you?"

"Nah man. I've been a little too 'touch-and-go' these past few years for anything serious." He shrugged. He heard Sasuke take a deep breath across from him. He looked up and was confused by the emotions he was seeing in the dark eyes.

"Because of your illness?" Ahh. So that was it.

"Yeah…that's part of it." Naruto agreed. He watched as Sasuke stroked the back of his neck before folding his arms on the table.

"Do you mind if I ask for details on your condition?" Naruto smiled easily.

"No, not at all." He thought back, trying to come up with a good place to start.

"I was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia about six weeks ago. Umm, acute means that it progresses quickly, and lymphocytic means that it got started in white blood cells called lymphocytes which are found in the bone marrow.

"I started chemo last week. My treatment is given in a five week cycle; which means that I'll do three weeks of chemo, four days a week, and then have two weeks of rest. After that the cycle repeats. Today is the second day in my second week. I have therapy from 8:00 to 11:00 in the morning; which basically entails them hooking me up to an IV and having me sit for hours puking in a bucket…it's great fun…you should try it sometime." His face lit up into a smile…however sarcastic it might have been.

"What about school? Is this the real reason you're 'taking a break'"? Naruto had long given up the small little spoon, and had resorted to picking up the bowl and drinking from it that way. He set it down, swallowed.

"No, the reason I took a break, really was money issues, but I guess you could say this is the reason why that break has become indefinite. I mean, if I didn't have the money then, I sure as hell don't have it now. What with the big ass hospital bills I'm sure we'll be getting soon and the fact I can't work during treatment." Sasuke sat back in his chair, finishing his glass of iced tea.

"I see." What exactly is it that you see Sasuke? Just then I heard the front door open, and the familiar voice of my guardian bellowing throughout the house.

"I'm back! Naruto, you up?" Naruto bellowed his response, not to be outdone by an old man.

"In the kitchen!" Jiraiya came into the kitchen, carrying a few bags of groceries, and other random items he had picked up. He set them down the counter before turning and looking at the two young men sitting at the table. His eyebrows shot up when he saw who else was in the room.

"My, my. Sasuke Uchiha, I thought I heard rumors of your return." Sasuke smiled.

"It's good to see you again sir." Jiraiya grimaced, and laughed.

"Call me Jiraiya, why don't you? Sir makes me sound so old."

"Only cuz you are." Naruto laughed. Jiraiya turned a glare on the blonde. He pointed a finger in his direction, and warned,

"I'll deal with you later." Naruto smirked.

"You staying for dinner Sasuke? I'm making Chile." Naruto's stomach gave a nauseating roll.

"Uh…you are?" He asked a little concerned.

"I am, but you will be eating soup and crackers. What do you say Sasuke?" He replied.

"Oh, no, thank you, but I think my mom already had something planned for tonight." Sasuke stood to his feet, taking his glass to the sink. He turned to look at Naruto then.

"It was good seeing you again Naruto. Maybe we can talk more later." Naruto smiled.

"Sounds good. See ya later Sasuke." Sasuke then waved goodbye to both Naruto and Jiraiya, and left the way he came.

Naruto stood to his feet, and carried his mostly empty bowl to the sink and rinsed it out before placing it in the sink to be washed.

"Didn't expect to see him here." Jiraiya commented.

"Yeah, said he was in the neighborhood and thought he would stop by." Naruto turned to watch Jiraiya put away the groceries.

"Did you two have a nice visit?" He asked as he tried to squish five differed types of vegetables into a small drawer in the fridge.

"Yeah, seems like he's done alright for himself."

"I'm glad to hear it…I want you to be careful through, Naruto." Jiraiya turned around to look the blonde in the eye.

"He messed you around once. I don't want you to get too attached and repeat what happened all those years ago." Naruto frowned.

"It's not like that. We're both adults now, and we can be friendly without it meaning something else. Jiraiya closed his eyes, and sighed.

"It's not just you I'm worried about though. You don't want to hurt him either do you?" Naruto didn't have to read minds to know what he was talking about. If they got too attached, and…and he didn't end up making it…

"We're just friends Jiraiya, nothing more…don't worry." He turned to leave the kitchen.

"I'll be in the living room." Jiraiya nodded, and watched the blond saunter into the living room and slump down onto the couch. He released a sigh, and turned to finish putting away the items he had bought today in town.

Naruto laid down on the couch, and turned the TV on. Animal Planet was on, something about the world's largest man eating snakes was airing, but he wasn't really watching it. His thoughts were else ware. He couldn't stop thinking about that dream/memory he had had right before Sasuke had shown up on his front porch. How ironic…or was it psychic. He didn't know, or care. He didn't really want to admit how nice it was to see and talk with the man that had been his best friend and lover all those years ago. Despite all his accomplishments, he still seemed to be the same Sasuke that Naruto had known and loved in high school. It made him happy in a strange way. He didn't know what the dark haired man's sudden reappearance meant, but…he figured he might as well go with the flow and see what comes of it…if anything comes of it at all. Guess, like with anything else, only time will tell. His eyes drifted shut, and once again, his dreams were plagued by the raven who kept reaching for the sun.

* * *

Alright, so I would like to point out that I don't know anyone who has ever had leukemia, therefore I really am depending on the web to give me credible information regarding it. Believe it or not, I have done quite a bit of research on different types of leukemia, and different treatments and how those treatments are administered. This is all information I have gotten from websites like , and . So I'm assuming it's all accurate. However, if I have gotten any information incorrect please let me know so I can fix it.

Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews, and please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Stay tuned for chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any characters in this fanfic.

**Warning: **No real warnings apply.

Good Afternoon everyone! Sorry this took so long. Work, and classes, and colds all got in my way. But I finally finished it. Hopefully you enjoy this next chapter, and I'll try to get chapter 4 up in better time. I would like to thank everyone who's reviewed and or favorited. Now, go read chapter 3!

* * *

~Stardust~

Cool air from the open window drifted over the body lying on the bed. The only sound in the dark room came from the cicada's soft chirping and the occasional rustle of the blankets on the mattress. Sasuke turned his head to glare at the digital clock on his nightstand. It was nearly two in the morning and he had yet to fall asleep. His body might have been tired, but unfortunately, his mind was still wide awake and full of thoughts from the previous day. Truthfully he was still kicking himself over how he handled his visit with Naruto. Remembering back, he shook his head.

"Long time no see?" He said aloud. Seriously? He hadn't spoken to the guy in eight years, and that was all he could come up with? That's not even the best part, when asked essentially what he was doing there, he proceeded to tell Naruto that he was "just in the neighborhood"…like the blonde wasn't even worth a special trip to visit. Sasuke groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, smushing his face into his pillow. God, how stupidly lame could he get?

He would have been able to get over it if the rest of the visit had gone well…and he supposed to an outsider it might have appeared as though it had, however, Sasuke felt differently. Naruto had come across as his normal, happy, if slightly less energetic, self. He had been a courteous host and had made things less awkward for both of them by offering up conversation that steered clear of their shared past. He had done all of this despite the fact that he obviously wasn't feeling all that well.

Sasuke, for his part had pretty much done nothing but brag about his life's achievements. It hadn't really hit him like that until they had gotten onto the topic of Naruto's illness. He had asked the blond if getting sick was actually the reason for talking a break from school.

"_No, the reason I took a break, _really_ was money issues, but I guess you could say this is the reason why that break has become indefinite. I mean, if I didn't have the money then, I sure as hell don't have it now. What with the big ass hospital bills I'm sure we'll be getting soon and the fact I can't work during treatment."_

There he was, talking about his company and how he had graduated from one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, and Naruto didn't even know if he would be able continue his college carrier. He had bragged about how far he had gotten in life, when there was no guarantee Naruto would make it even another year. The whole thing left him feeling pretty shitty. He knew that Naruto might not have taken it that way, but in Sasuke's eyes it still didn't excuse his behavior.

Frowning slightly as a chill crept over his naked skin. His body couldn't decide whether it wanted to be hot or cold. He had started out the night hot, so he had opened the window, now he was cold. Sighing, he got to his feet, and shuffled his way to his window, but before he could shut it, he caught a glimpse of an airplane flying thousands of feet overhead. Its blinking tail lights resembled a twinkling star.

"_Naruto it's freezing out here. Let's go back inside." The blonde shook his head._

"_No, if we go in now we'll miss it." He argued. _

"_You can stay if you want, but I'm going in where it's warm." Sasuke turned to leave, when suddenly, a hand caught his elbow. _

"_Just a few more minutes, that's all I'm asking for…please? I promise it will be worth it." Even in the dark Naruto's bright blue eyes sparkled like sapphires in the sun. The hopeful expression on his face was too much to resist. _

"_Alright fine, but If I get hypothermia and die, I blame you." Naruto smiled, and pulled Sasuke into a tight embrace. _

"_Don't worry, I'll keep you warm." The blonde's lips gently caressed Sasuke's sensitive ear, and slowly made their way down his jaw till they found what they were really looking for. Sasuke's shiver was from an entirely different reason than being cold as he returned the kiss. Naruto's lips tasted like butterscotch. It was almost criminal for someone's natural flavor to be so sweet. Just as their kiss began to heat up, Naruto broke away abruptly and directed his eyes upward. _

"_Look! It's starting!" Sasuke, if a little reluctantly, raised his head to look upwards as well, and sure enough, the night sky was extremely busy as stars began to shoot across the sky every couple of seconds until it was one after another. The meteor shower only lasted a few minutes, but it was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful natural phenomenon's they had and likely ever would witness. _

_Sasuke lowered his head to stare at the blonde in front of him. His eyes were shining just about as brightly as the stars were, and it was only enhanced by the awed smile that stretched those sweet lips. Seeing how happy Naruto was, made Sasuke crack a small smile as well. The blonde was right; it had been worth it…though not for the reasons Naruto had initially thought._

That had been when Jiraiya had taken them up to his cabin in the Stone Mountains. It was really the only place where they would have been able to clearly see the stars. That was one thing Sasuke remembered Naruto loving more than anything: A night sky full of twinkling stars. He wished he could see them now, but even in the suburbs, there were too many streetlights and headlights to be able to see anything other than darkness when you looked up at the sky. He shut the window and shuffled back to his bed. He made a mental promise to himself that the next time he saw Naruto, he would do things better. He pulled the covers up around his body, and after laying there for another half hour, he finally fell asleep.

EXERCISE

…EX...ER...CISE

…EX…AR…SIZE

…eggs…are…sides

…FOR BACON…

BACON!

Sasuke yawned, and stretched, kicking the covers off in the process. Oh yeah, there was definitely bacon sizzling in the kitchen. He could practically taste it already. It's odd how dreams shift into reality, there he was jogging beside a stream without a care in the world, when all of a sudden, he was transported to bacon land. He knew right away that this was going to be an odd day. Sasuke sat up and stretched again before standing to his feet. He shuffled over to his closet, and picked out a pair of dark blue jeans and a simple white polo t-shirt to wear. After fixing his hair, he trucked his way downstairs for some breakfast.

As expected, there was indeed bacon…two entire plates of it to be exact. There was also a bowl of scrambled eggs, toast, English muffins, and freshly made orange juice. Yes sir, meals were good in the Uchiha household. His father sat across from him, sipping his coffee and reading the newspaper. Itachi mindlessly munched on a piece of toast, while reading through his emails on his phone. His mother was the only one who was attempting to converse.

"What do you plan on doing today Sasuke?" Sasuke looked up from his plate, at the question.

"I didn't really have anything planned. Did you have something in mind?" Knowing his mother, it was probably a bunch of errands.

"Well, now that you mention it, the drycleaners called and said your father's suit was ready. It would be a big help if you could go and pick it up…oh, and I promised Mrs. Aburame that I would bring a cake to their barbeque next week, so I would also need you to pick up a few ingredients." He knew it.

"You wouldn't mind stopping by the post office to mail a few boxes on your way to the cleaners too, would you?" She continued. Sasuke mentally sighed, but agreed to run the errands for his mother…it's not like he really had anything else to do.

* * *

Sasuke had stupidly thought that it would be a fast trip into town since he only had three stops to make. Because of this, he didn't even leave the house until about one o'clock. However, his mother had failed to mention that her drycleaners was clear across town. It was nearly a forty-five minute drive just for that one stop, plus the thirty minute wait to get the suit, and the forty-five minute drive back. By the time he had stopped by the post office and the grocery store, it was already almost four o'clock…so much for a fast trip.

He was on his way home when he came across a traffic jam…lovely. Apparently there had been an accident, and policemen were directing traffic to an alternate route. Sasuke hadn't driven in this town for many years, so he wasn't quite as familiar with all the back roads as he used to be. He found navigating the city to be a bit of a challenge, though it ended up not being nearly as horrible as he initially thought. He was passing by a small park, when a familiar scene caught his eye. He slowed down so he could properly take in the sight. Sure enough, he saw Kiba Inuzuka throwing a Frisbee for his dog Akamaru. But that wasn't entirely what made him stop. It was the blonde headed guy, sitting on a bench watching, that caught his interest. Without much thought, Sasuke pulled into the parking lot. He got out of the car, and walked the short distance to where Kiba and Naruto were. As he moved closer, his eyes took in Naruto's appearance. There were dark circles under his bright blue eyes, suggesting he didn't sleep well the previous night. His hoodie clad arms were crossed over his chest despite his skin being faintly flushed. He looked up when Sasuke drew near.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" He asked cheerfully. Kiba turned around at the question.

"Sasuke, hey! I thought I heard a rumor that you were in town." Kiba clapped Sasuke on the shoulder.

"You heard right, I've been here for a few days now. What about this rumor I'm hearing of you and Hinata finally tying the knot?" Sasuke replied.

"Well, since you asked, the wedding is in four weeks and you just earned yourself an invitation…if your still around that is." Kiba laughed.

"Guess I have a reason to stick around now huh?" Sasuke answered.

"So, how's it going?" He repeated his question from earlier.

"Good, Akamaru needed a little exercise, and we all thought a little fresh air would do Naruto some good, so he tagged along." Sasuke retuned his attention back to the blonde.

"How are you feeling today?" Naruto shrugged.

"I'm tired." He said, but smiled anyways. Sasuke had wanted a more complete answer.

"Did you have chemo this morning?" Naruto grimaced, and nodded.

"Yep, got out at eleven." He replied.

"Shouldn't you be at home resting then?" Sasuke knew it wasn't really any of his business, but he could tell that the blonde was clearly not feeling well.

"I like the fresh air." Naruto took a deep breath through his nose to prove it. A bright smile erupted across his tanned face.

"Besides, it's not like I'm doing a lot of strenuous work or anything. I've been sitting here the entire time…right Kiba?" He looked to his longtime friend for confirmation. Kiba nodded his head obediently.

"Sure has, Akamaru is the one doing all the work here. Right, Akamaru?" He looked at the dog by his side, tail wagging happily. A bark was all the answer they were going to get.

"Yes, you've had to chase that frisbee and bring it back, and chase that frisbee and bring it back, and chase-"

"Okay Kiba, I think we get the concept." Naruto interrupted. Kiba laughed.

"Well, if you're sure. I could always draw a picture to further illustrate my point." He offered mockingly. Naruto laughed, and put a finger to his chin, seemingly deep in thought.

"Hmm, I don't know; Sasuke do you need a picture to fully comprehend the complexly articulate mechanisms of the game that is fetch?" Naruto asked the raven haired man beside him. Sasuke barely contained a laugh at the blonde's outrageous use of vocabulary.

"Fear not fair one, for I believe I understand what this canine has had to endure without any sort of photographic assistance…noble though the offer may be." Sasuke replied.

"Why do I feel as though we were just transported to 15th century England?" Kiba questioned, causing the other two men to laugh.

"Yo dude, we ain't got no need for pics…you pickin up what I'm puttin down?" Naruto tried again. Sasuke smirked. Kiba rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You, my friend are a disgrace to society." Naruto gave him two thumbs up, and a big grin, before his body was suddenly wracked with a harsh cough. Kiba and Sasuke were both at his side in a matter of seconds. Sasuke rested his hand lightly on Naruto's back, while Kiba grabbed his water bottle.

"You okay man?" Kiba handed his water bottle to the blonde once he was done coughing. Naruto gratefully took the bottle from Kiba, and took a few sips before answering.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, thanks." Naruto breathed deeply, and wrapped his arm more tightly around his middle.

"Maybe you should go home and get some rest?" Kiba suggested. Naruto's eyes drooped slightly before he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I think you're probably right…can I borrow your phone to call Jiraiya?" Kiba fished into his back pocket, pulling out his phone for Naruto to use, when Sasuke spoke.

"I can drive you home if you want? I was heading in that direction anyways." He wasn't really, in fact his parent's house was in the opposite direction from Naruto's, but the blonde didn't need to know he was on his way home, now did he? Naruto looked up at Sasuke; his large blue eyes were full of concern.

"Are you sure? I'd hate to inconvenience you like that." Sasuke smiled softly and laughed.

"It's not an inconvenience; I needed to stop by the library anyways." The library? Sasuke never spent time at the library. Not when the internet was so much faster. The blonde gave a puzzled look, as if reading Sasuke's mind.

"I need to drop off a few books that Itachi borrowed." Nice recovery. Thank god his older brother was still stuck in the 90's.

"Well, if you're sure, then okay…thanks." Sasuke dismissed his thanks with a wave of his hand.

"Don't worry about it, I'm glad to help." Kiba and Akamaru walked Naruto back to Sasuke's car. Naruto's steps were slow, but steady. Once seated, Naruto buckled his seatbelt, and waited for Sasuke to do the same. Kiba waved them off as they left the parking lot. Naruto's house was only about a ten minute drive away, and luckily, Sasuke still knew all the right roads to take to get there.

The car ride was awkward with silence, neither knowing quite what to say. Sasuke wracked his brain, trying to come up with something close to good conversation material, but all he could come up with was the weather.

"Nice day today, huh?" Naruto, briefly glanced at Sasuke, and then looked out the window again.

"Yeah, I like the sunshine. It's been kinda rainy lately, so this is a nice change." Sasuke almost smiled at that statement. It complimented their personalities nicely. Naruto had always been more energetic and happy when the sun was out and shining brightly, whereas Sasuke had always loved the rain. Thunderstorms were always when he felt the most inspired. He wasn't much of an artist like Naruto, and he didn't write very well like Itachi, but he knew that if he did have either of those talents, he would crank out the very best of his work during a thunderstorm.

"Have you been drawing anything lately?" He asked quietly. Naruto shrugged.

"Not really, I mean I've doodled, but nothing especially amazing. I just haven't had the energy…or the inspiration." Sasuke nodded. No doubt, his therapy was probably responsible for both hindrances.

"_I have therapy from 8:00 to 11:00 in the morning; which basically entails them hooking me up to an IV and having me sit for hours puking in a bucket."_ He doubted he would have much inspiration after that either. Sasuke was pleasantly surprised, when Naruto asked the next question.

"So, how was your night?" Oh god…not that question. Nevertheless, he plastered on a happy smile, and answered with slightly more enthusiasm than the question required.

"It was great!" Wonderful…he'd be sure to send in his audition for the frosted flakes commercial when he got home.

"Glad to hear it." Naruto laughed; Sasuke simply shrugged, and pulled the car into Naruto's driveway. Putting the car in park, he shut off the ignition; waiting for Naruto to either get out and go in, or preferably invite him to stay for a while. Naruto shifted in his seat for a moment, before slowly looking over at Sasuke.

"You want to come in for a drink or something?" Sasuke allowed a rare smile to stretch his thin lips, and gladly accepted the invitation. He followed behind as Naruto climbed the two little steps up to his front door. As he turned the door knob he loudly announced his arrival.

"Jiraiya, I'm home! Are you-"

"Confound this evil contraption! Listen up you useless piece of shit, I'm gonna dump your ass in the scrap heap if you don't straighten up, and work properly. I'm not kidding! I'll take you apart and rebuild you as a freaking toaster! That's right, you'll spend the rest of your miserable days browning bread if you don't work the way you're supposed to right now!" Naruto and Sasuke stood frozen in the doorway, listening to the tirade coming from a clearly unhappy Jiraiya. Deciding to brave the unknown, they ventured into the living room to see Jiraiya pounding his fist onto the computer monitor.

"Uhh, Jiraiya…is everything okay?" Naruto patted the older man on the shoulder. Jiraiya threw his hands up over his head and let out an exasperated groan.

"I hate technology! This stupid piece of junk won't do what I want it to do, and I can't figure out why." Naruto sighed, and scratched the back of his head.

"What's it not doing that you want it to do?" He asked, peering over his guardian's shoulder to look at the screen.

"Well, it keeps freezing on me and the only way I can get it to work again is to restart the damn thing. After I restart it, it seems to work fine until I try to send an email, then it gets all funky on me again and freezes. I just want to send one little email! That's all!" Naruto shrugged his shoulders and scratched the back of his head again.

"I don't know gramps; guess you better take it in to a professional and get it looked at." Jiraiya's face contorted into a frown, and he dismissed Naruto's idea with a wave of his hand.

"I haven't got the cash for something like that." Naruto shuffled his feet, but didn't comment.

"I could take a look at it if you'd like me to." Both Naruto and Jiraiya turned to look at Sasuke.

"You know what's wrong with it?" Jiraiya questioned.

"No, but I could probably figure it out pretty quick." Sasuke assured.

"Oh yeah! You said you owned a company that builds computers right? You also said you got a degree in Computer Technology." Naruto asked. Sasuke blushed slightly, but nodded his head anyway.

"Is that right kid? Well, by all means, if you think you can fix her, have at it." Jiraiya beamed.

"Sure, how about I come over tomorrow around noon and take a look at it then? I've got to get these groceries home to my mom." Sasuke suggested. Jiraiya nodded in understanding.

"Sure thing, whenever works best for you is great. I'll be here all day tomorrow, so just pop on by whenever ya feel the urge." Sasuke shook Jiraiya's outstretched hand and waved goodbye to Naruto, who happily returned the gesture.

"See ya." The blonde waved. Sasuke opened the front door and stepped outside.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." With that he shut the door, and made his way to the car. Who would have thought that his stressful day would have turned out like this…guess miracles do happen. As he drove home, his stereo blasted "I'm Walking On Sunshine" throughout his speakers, letting the entire neighborhood know what a freaking good day Sasuke Uchiha was having, and hopefully, tomorrow would be even better.

* * *

Whatcha think? Was it alright? (cross fingers) hopefully it was alright. Remember, this story is supposed to be rather slow paced, but it will start to pick up starting chapter 4…which, like I said, I'll try to get up in a more speedy fashion. Reviews would be lovely, they let me know what I'm doing well, and what I could improve on, so don't be shy, my bark is worse than my bite, I promise. Thanks again, and I'll see you all for the next chapter. ^_^


End file.
